Lawsuit alleges Michigan school district covered up sexual abuse between former teacher, student
A new lawsuit has surfaced involving Bedford Public Schools in Monroe County, Michigan, accusing the district of covering up sexual misconduct by a former teacher with a student in 2022.
It details disturbing incidents of sexual abuse between Christopher Wilhelm, a former teacher and football coach at Bedford High School, and a then-17-year-old female student.
CBS Detroit
The complaint alleges the abuse took place from May 2022 until December 2022 during school hours, on school property and off school grounds.
Wilhelm is accused of grooming the student, sending inappropriate text messages and videos and having sex with the student multiple times in his classroom, including at his home in Toledo, Ohio, where she was his alleged babysitter.
"He did grooming techniques. Initially, it began in the beginning of the summer. They had some text messages and emails. They used Snapchat and Instagram, and it moved into how predators do this. They try to gain the confidence and then they introduce their subject to discussions about playfulness about sex, and they move them right along that continuum," said plaintiff attorney Terry Cochran.
Wilhelm is currently behind bars, charged with third and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct related to this case.
This lawsuit accuses Bedford Public Schools of violating the student's civil rights.
It alleges the school district had the opportunity to report the misconduct and launch an investigation, but allegedly did not.
"Her homeroom teacher brought it to the attention of the assistant principal and the principal that there was conduct going on here that wasn't correct. And the assistant principal and principal really didn't do much of an investigation," Cochran said.
CBS Detroit
The suit also claims the district failed to train staff on identifying and reporting concerns of red flag behaviors between a teacher and student, which created a hostile environment for this teenager.
"The signs were there. The red flags were there, and the administration, the principal and the assistant principal failed to act. This is about civil rights. Her rights to be free to attend a public education without fear of sexual harassment," said Cochran.
CBS News Detroit reached out to Bedford Public Schools for comment. We received the following statement from Superintendent Carl Shultz:
"The safety and well-being of our students is—and always will be—our highest priority. We take any allegation involving the harm of a student with the utmost seriousness and are committed to creating a safe, supportive, and respectful environment in every school building. While we understand there may be questions regarding the recently filed lawsuit, the district cannot comment on pending legal matters. We remain focused on supporting our students, staff, and school community during this time."
The lawsuit is seeking at least $25,000 in damages. Attorneys are also encouraging any victims to come forward as they feel this isn't the first case of sexual misconduct Wilhelm was involved.
Read the full lawsuit below
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